Headrest



Sept. 30, 1924. 1,510,187

B. A. MARTIN HEADREST Filed Oct. 1. 1923 INVENTOR Mzm Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BE'IlHINIli A. MARTIN, 01' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA HEADBEST.

Application ma October 1, 1923. Serial No. 055,743.

provide a head rest which shall be adapted to comfortably support a persons head while in an erect or semi-erect position under such diflicult conditions as when riding in vehicles where the motion of the vehicle tends to displace the support. To such ends my invention consists in the head rest hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a view of a person seated in an automobile, using a head rest embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of a pneumatic head rest embodying my invention, the head rest being shown in deflated condition; and

Fig. 3 is a front view of a woman Wearing one of my head rests.

While I have chosen for the purposes of illustration the best embodiment of my invention known to me, my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, and the illustrative form is therefore to be regarded only as typical and my invention is not to be confined thereto.

There are many situations in which a person is compelled to sit in an erect or semierect positlon for a long ora considerable length of time, and in which it would be very restful if the head could be comfortably supported sov as to relieve the mind of attention to it and the person could go to sleep. Tourin in a motor vehicle is an instance of size a situation. Such tours require a person to sit for many hours in a seat which is so constantly moving and jolting that the use of ordinary cushions or pillows to su port the head is practically impossible. y invention fully relieves this situation.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, a cushion or pillow A is provided which is adapted to rest in the hollow of the neck behind, and which preferably also projects forward .over each shoulder in a U- shape, the shoulder portions referably coming close to the neck andvsi es of the head. I provide means for securely holdin the said cushion against the back of the nec and upon the shoulders. In the illustrated embodiment, such means take the forms of straps B and C which may be crossed over the chest and tied behind the back as shown in the drawing. Such straps not only draw the cushion forward against the back of the neck, but draw the shoulder portions against the sides of the neck and head. The cushion A is preferably made of such thickness as to fully support the head without permitting the neck to bend to an uncomfortable degree. I preferably make the cushion in the form of a pneumatic bag having a canvas or other cloth outer body, with a rubber or other air-tight lining. A valved tube D is provided so that the cushion may be inflated for use and deflated for packing or storage. By the use of my cushion a person, even in the front seat of a motor car, which has a relatively low back, can support his head with such comfort and with such a feeling of security that he can not only restfully doze but go to sleep. It is not necessary to the successful use of my head rest that the back of the seat rises to the level of the shoulders, particularly as the straps B and C not only old the cushion against the back of the neck, but, being tied behind the waist of the user, they pull from a part of the back which issupported b the seat back, and thus prevent the shoul ers from swinging backward, whether or not the back of the seat comes to the level of the shoulders. By making the cushion pneumatically expansible, its height can be regulated to the ength of neck of the user by the degree of ressure of the air within it. person reclining in a steamer chair can also use my head rest to advantage for, not only is the back of the steamer chair an insecure support for a cushion, but the motion of the vessel frequently tends to displace an ordinary cushion placed behind the head on such a chair. Another of many! uses for my head rest would be in the seats of the day coach of a train.

fclaim: 1. A head rest comprising a relatively thick cushion adapted to be placed against the back of the neck of the user, and means that are attached to the ends of said cushion and ada ted to cross each other upon the breast o? the user and extend in opposite directions around his waist and there be fastened to each other.

2. A' head rest comprising a relatively of the user and support the sides of the head, and means that are attached to the ends of said cushion and adapted to cross each other upon the breast of the user and extend in opposite directions around his waist and there be fastened to each other.

3. A head rest comprising a relatively thick cushion adapted to be placed against *the back of the neck of the user, and straps that are attached to the ends of said cushion and adapted to cross each other upomthe breast of the user and extend in o posits 1 directions around his waist and therehe fastened to each other.

4. A head rest comprisi a relatively 'thick cushion plaoeda inst t e back of the neck of the user an stra s thatare atso tached to the ends of said cus ion and crossed upon the breast of the user and that extend around his waist and are there fastened to each other.

In testimony that I claim the to I have hereunto set my hand this 18t of September,v 1923.

BETHINE A. MARTIN.

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